As we head into the new year I have, like many others, been thinking about my goals and resolutions for 2016. This year I was inspired by Mackenzie Horan's (of Design Darling) list of 101 goals in 1001 days and have decided to compile my own list! It has been fun to brainstorm and imagine what I would like to do with family and friends and accomplish professionally over this time frame. (I couldn't help but peruse through pictures of our honeymoon in Greece when writing the travel goals, and I included one of my favorite outtakes that didn't make it into my Santorini summary below.) I love the feeling of new possibilities that January brings, and am excited to see what I will experience in 2016!

January 1st, 2016 – September 28, 2018 (64 Completed)

Blog/Website

1 Design and order business cards (April 17, 2016)
2 Attend a blog conference (Go Blog Social St. Louis: May 14, 2016)
3 Update portfolio (September 2016)
4 Finish ten more Letters Are Lovely quotes (First in February 2016)
5 Document past trips (January 2016)
6 Plan a photoshoot
7 Connect with another blogger
8 Open an online shop (April 16, 2016)
9 Blog consistently for three months (Nov, Dec, Jan 2016-2017)
10 Create an email newsletter

Dale and Allie

11 Take a road trip (Nashville Tennessee, May 27-29, 2016)
12 Go camping
13 Make a weekend trip to a winery
14 Surprise Dale with a home-cooked meal (Blueberry and Chia Seed Pancakes April 2016)
15 Spend an evening in with no electronics
16 Go zip lining together
17 Volunteer somewhere together
18 Go to Up-Down arcade bar in KC (September 15, 2017 after Tim & Kelsea's Rehearsal Dinner)
19 Go to the Missouri State Fair together
20 Make homemade pasta together

Fitness/Health

21 Try a new Fusion class (Fusion Mix with Gerilyn)
22 Try a new yoga class (Southtown Yoga with Joanna, November 2016)
23 Try a pilates class
24 Try five new recipes (Linguine with Fennel & Winter Greens, Coconut Rice with Kale and Edamame, Tomato Coconut Shrimp Curry, Coffee Cake Crumb Muffins, Sausage and Egg Casserole)
25 Try a new smoothie recipe (Blueberry Brain Booster from Enjoy, May 2016)
26 Go on a hike (Hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy July 2016)
27 Skip the elevator at work for a week (March 2016)
28 Go to Skyzone!
29 Ride entire bike path loop in Forest Park (February 20, 2016)
30 Replace pop and juice with water for a week (April 9-16)

Travel

31 Travel with my sister Sophie in Italy (July 1-15, 2016)
32 Visit a new state (New Orleans, Louisiana March 2017)
33 Go to the beach (Cannon Beach, Oregon March 2016)
34 Take a family vacation (Spring Break in Portland, Oregon March 2016)
35 Eat a local specialty (VooDoo Doughnuts and Salt & Straw March 2016)
36 Go on a guided tour (Pompeii, July 2016 and Amalfi Coast, July 2016)
37 Visit somewhere new in Missouri (Rolla, Missouri for Evon & Ally's Wedding, October 15, 2016)
38 Keep a journal during a trip (Italy, July 2016)
39 Visit a museum in a different state (Museo Colchugua, Santa Cruz, Chile, January, 2017)
40 Travel by train (Italy, July 2016)

Entertainment

41 Host an outdoor dinner party
42 Serve a cheese tray (February 27, 2016)
43 Go to a KU game at Allen Fieldhouse
44 Listen to a new podcast (Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin, February 2016)
45 Go to a concert (Florence & The Machine with Sophie May 24, 2016)
46 Host a surprise party
47 See a movie on opening night (Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, November 2016)
48 Go to a book signing (In Progress by Jessica Hische April 2016)
49 Participate in an Instagram meet up
50 Go to an AIGA event (Jessica Hische April 2016)

Creative/Making Things

51 Start a new sketchbook (Itlay, July 2016)
52 Sketch consistently
53 Create a new clip & tip alphabet
54 Finish Monogram from Skillshare class
55 Practice calligraphy daily for a month
56 Sew a plush something
57 Finish college t-shirt quilt
58 Create a new embroidery piece
59 Create three new weavings
60 Participate in Hallmarket

Family/Friends

61 Play Golf at Indian Hills with my dad (Driving Range June 28, 2016)
62 Go to a flower arranging workshop with my mom (Spring Beauty & Blooms Workshop March 1, 2016)
63 Spend an eventing with Grace wherever she would like (Night at the Plaza July 25, 2016)
64 Visit Sophie in Lawrence (Mom's Weekend/Painted Kanvas April 15-16, 2016)
65 Record Grammy and Pop telling a story from their childhood/life
66 Go to Breakout KC with the family
67 Spend a weekend at Turkey Hill (July 1-2, 2017)
68 Send hand-writen letters to five friends
69 Host friends in STL (Laura Visited STL, September 17, 2016)
70 Join a book club (Busy Girl Book Club Est. January 8, 2016)

Books

71 Read Big Magic (Completed January 9, 2016)
72 Read Emma by Jane Austen (March 14, 2017)
73 Read a fiction book (Me Before You: March 2016)
74 Read a non-fiction book (Lynchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin: February 2016)
75 Read a book (A Darker Shade of Magic: July 2016)
75 Read a book (Essentialism by Greg McKeown: July 2016)
75 Read a book (The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: December 2016)
75 Read a book (The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena: January 2017)
75 Read a book (All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda: February 2017)
80 Re-read all the Harry Potter books (Completed July 2017)

Financial/Practical

81 Cook our own food for two weeks
82 No extra purchases for a month (clothes/jewelry/books…)
83 Put money into a savings account each month for a year
84 Make an email account with my married name (Alexandra Violet Email April 2016)
85 Get a new Passport (March 2016)
86 Unsubscribe from emails (January 2016)
87 Increase retirement savings percentage (July 2016)
88 Update budget (March 2017)
89 Evaluate spending at the end of the month (March 2017)
90 Plan long term financial goals

St. Louis

91 Try 5 New Restaurants (Oasis & Mission Taco Joint: January 2016, Mango: Valentine's Day 2016, Pastaria May 7, 2016, Scarlett's Wine Bar: June 2016, Avenue for Brunch: February 2017)
92 Go to the history museum with Grammy and Pop
93 Take an ariel silks class
94 Attend a Cardinals game
95 Pot-luck with our STL friends (May 2017, Pot-Luck at Perry's for Wontons)
96 Eat at a food truck
97 Go to the top of the arch (With Neil, Marie & Bruce: November 20, 2016)
98 Go to the symphony (Mahler: Symphony No. 5, January 23, 2016)
99 Go to the farmers market and cook a meal (August 2016)
100 Photograph my favorite buildings in the city